Once Upon a Melody
by helloitskrisha
Summary: Princess Christine has been trapped in an enchanted tower for years, waiting for someone to help set her free. All hope seemed lost… until a masked sorcerer heard her sing. (a fic gift for Arelya-Andaria!)


**A/N: This fic is a gift for my wonderful fandom friend and fellow phic writer Arelya-Andaria who requested a Rapunzel-inspired E/C fairytale AU with romance, magic, and sweetness. (No super long hair in this one though ahaha.) Hope you like it! :)**

* * *

There was a time, long ago, when Princess Christine saw beyond the walls of her ivory tower. Whenever she closed her eyes, she could imagine the beautiful and vibrant flowers of the palace garden, the way the sky changed its colors to mark the passing of time, the sight of a kingdom bustling with life and energy.

She would try her hardest to paint these scenes in the canvas of her mind. But as the endless days passed slowly by, she started losing hope. Little by little, the memories faded, the colors turned grey, the pictures in her head blurred and dulled.

Now, her life was confined to a lonely room. In a tower with neither any stairs nor any doors, only a singular window that gives her a view of the foggy woods trapped in eternal darkness.

A forest that few souls can find and even fewer would dare enter.

In her little room, food would magically appear on the dinner table every day, yet she found that eating alone was not as satisfying as sharing a meal with those she held dear.

She was alone with nothing but her thoughts to keep her company. So, she spends her days reading, writing, knitting, and drawing to prevent herself from giving in to boredom and hopelessness. But what her heart truly yearned to do was sing.

And so, she would sing every day. To her, music was the most magical thing in the entire world. It always soothed her and eased the pain in her heart. How she missed her father and the melodies they would play together!

Gazing out of the window, she began singing a soulful ballad. She imagined herself performing at one of her father's legendary balls, serenading an enraptured audience. The crowd would start getting teary-eyed at her song, but they would happily applaud and cheer as she hit the high notes.

The lonely princess fixed her gaze upon the secluded forest, pretending that the withering trees were an adoring crowd. In her mind's eye, the swaying branches were dancing along to her song, the slight whistle of the breeze were murmurs of praise.

Tears fell from her cheeks as she sang the lines, sang of her loneliness and her longing for companionship. She raised her arms triumphantly, imagining her father standing from his throne and giving her a standing ovation.

With one last bow, she turned away from the window and retreated to her room.

Little did she know that she had an audience—one who was not just a figment of her vivid imagination.

As she moved away from the window, she heard something she thought she'd never hear again: the sound of enthusiastic clapping. Then, a mysterious voice—a deep, melodic baritone that made her heart race—called out to her.

"_Brava, brava, bravissima_!"

**...**

A wandering sorcerer had been roaming the dark woods, gathering ingredients for a potion he was concocting. That was when he heard her voice. It was the most unforgettable melody that had ever graced his ears—soft yet powerful, sweet yet laced with such pain and sadness.

He yearned to find the source of that ethereal voice and he followed its dulcet sound through the maze of trees. Soon, he reached a clearing where a tall tower stood. As someone proficient in the magical arts, he could immediately sense the enchantments surrounding it. As long as the spell is in place, no human may enter nor exit the ivory structure.

By the window of the tower, he saw who was singing such an exquisite melody, and he was immediately smitten. It seemed only fitting that a magnificent voice would belong to such a beautiful maiden.

When he looked upon her face, as she sang to her imaginary audience, it felt as though time had stopped. And nothing else in the world existed except for her.

Through the darkness of the woods, her golden hair stood out, gleaming like sunshine through the clouds. Her eyes, clear and blue, were like diamonds. Bright and exquisite and uniquely hers. How he longed to gaze upon them and see into her soul.

Though, in a way, he already could.

Hearing her song felt so intimate, as though a secret was being shared to him. He closed his eyes and let himself get lost in her, in this melody that she alone could bring to life.

A lifetime of nothing but sadness and pain had hardened his heart, taught him never to trust other human beings. Almost everyone he had come across had either been frightened by his face or by his sorcery. At a young age, he quickly learned that the only way he could survive was if he hid behind a mask and kept his magical abilities to himself.

But now, as he watched the beautiful girl bare her heart and soul to him unknowingly, he suddenly longed for a connection. To be vulnerable.

To be loved and to love in turn.

He did not know what possessed him to make his presence known. But, as she finished her song and moved to retreat to her room, he clapped.

"_Brava, brava, bravissima_!" the words of praise seemed to flow so easily from his lips, an unusual occurrence for him and his more reserved nature.

The young woman quickly ran back to the window and looked around frantically. "Who is there? Who are you?"

He panicked. Fearing that she would reject him on sight, he cast a spell that would hide his physical form from her inquisitive eyes.

Her hopeful expression quickly faded when she could not find anyone standing outside the tower. She cried out, tears threatening to spill from her sky-blue eyes. "Please. Is anyone there?"

By the pained expression on her face, he could sense her desperation and sadness. He knew he couldn't stay quiet and let her believe that what she heard was nothing but a trick of the mind. Though he could not find the courage to reveal his appearance to her quite yet.

"I am here."

She leaned closer to the window, trying to find the source of the voice. "Where are you? Why can't I see you?"

He stayed silent, unsure of how to explain that he wanted to talk to her but didn't want her to be frightened of him.

When he didn't reply, she grew restless. "Please talk to me. I need to know that someone is really there. Tell me, are you a fairy… or perhaps an angel? Is that why I can't see you? Did my father send you? Are you here to rescue me from this accursed tower?"

Hope blossomed in his heart. Perhaps there was still a way for him to spend time with her without revealing his true nature.

"I will do what I can to help you."

**…**

Joy burst from her heart like a fountain. Surely, if anyone could help her break free, it would be an angel!

Although she could not see him, she felt his presence. So near and yet so far away. As he worked on undoing the enchantments, he would talk to her, regale her with stories of his travels. He had been to so many kingdoms, seen so many sights. Her heart leaped as he told her of the beautiful mountains of Asia and the magnificent deserts of Persia.

How she longed to visit those places! He made them sound so lovely.

"Perhaps, you could travel once you're out of this tower." Her Angel said, sounding hopeful.

"I hope so," she sighed dreamily, "but I fear that I may never leave this accursed tower. My father had already sent his bravest knights and most trusted fairies to find a way to get me out of here. Yet, it has been years and I'm still here."

Although she could not see her hero's face, she could somehow feel him smiling. "Your father has never sent an angel before. This time could be different."

For the first time in a long while, she let herself have hope.

However, undoing the enchantments proved to be more difficult than he thought. For days, he had been studying his spell books as thoroughly as he could, trying to find a way to get Christine out unharmed.

He would come to her every day, always trying to lift her spirits. And his heart would leap whenever even a hint of a smile formed on her lovely face. She was far too young to be feeling so much despair and hopelessness. Then again, he remembered how young he was when he first realized how unfair life could be.

They would always sing together as he searched for any weak spots in the enchanted tower, a way to breach through the spell. So far, he could not find any.

"Do you have any dreams, Christine?"

She looked up from the book she was perusing and leaned her face closer to the window. A small sigh escaped her lips, a faint, almost imperceptible sound that even he wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't been listening so closely. "All I've ever wanted to do was be on a stage and sing."

He could not bear the sadness etched so intricately on her delicate features. "You will get to share your music with the world again, my dear. I promise you."

"But my dreams and ambitions were what trapped me here."

And so, she told him of how she had come to be cursed to stay in the tower.

There was a sorceress, a haughty woman with wild red curls and a voice so powerful that she could bend trees and forests and mountains to her will with only a few choice words. In all of the king's balls, she would take center stage and perform the most intricate, most haunting ballads.

However, on Christine's sixteenth birthday, she begged her father to allow her to perform. Wanting to keep his daughter happy, the king let her sing in the sorceress' place.

Christine remembered seeing the woman storm off as she sang her heart out on the stage. The sorceress seemed to be enraged that someone other than she was being given a spotlight at the party. But, at the time, the princess paid the incident no mind because she was too happy to finally be singing in front of an audience.

Her debut was a triumphant one. And, until now, she can still vividly picture the pride and joy in her father's eyes as he stood and clapped for her, the enthusiastic cheers from her adoring crowd.

That very same night, an intruder came into her room. She could not see anything in the darkness but she felt a cold presence and heard a shrill voice whispering in her ear.

"_I hope you enjoyed your moment in the sun, little toad. Where you're going, no one will ever again hear you croak_."

Shadows, made stronger by the full moon, seeped into the girl's windowsill and pulled her into their cold, dark hands. The darkness seemed to envelop her fully, threatened to keep her imprisoned within its depths. She felt herself drifting into a deep sleep, but the shadows followed her even in her dreams.

When Christine opened her eyes, she found herself stuck in a little room in a tall tower that she can't escape from. And this is where she had stayed ever since. Five years had passed since that fateful night. And still the shadows linger in her every nightmare.

Tears fell from her eyes as she finished the story. "It's all my fault. I'm trapped in here because I wanted so badly to be the star of the ball. I kept asking my father over and over if I could sing on my birthday."

For a moment, her Angel was quiet and she feared that he may have left. But then, she again heard his sonorous voice and his calming presence wrapped around her like a warm blanket. "You mustn't blame yourself, my dear. The sorceress is the one who acted spitefully."

She sighed. "But it _is_ my fault. I was so consumed in my own dreams that I didn't care who was affected. I would be hurt too if I felt like I was being replaced…"

"Would you be hurt? I imagine so. However, would _you_ trap _her_ in a cursed tower for eternity?"

The princess shook her head. "No. I would be sad about it but I wouldn't want to hurt her. Or anyone for that matter."

She could not see her Angel but he was smiling widely. "You see, my dear? She _chose_ to act vindictively. It was not your fault. You must learn to forgive yourself. Dreams are a beautiful thing, Christine. Do not let someone else's fear and insecurities keep you from pursuing your passion."

That night, for the first time in years, there were no nightmares as she slept, no shadows invading her mind. Only beautiful music and the voice of an angel.

**…**

He was falling in love with her and he knew it. But he wouldn't dare admit it to himself.

For so long, he had been alone, wandering the world but never letting himself get attached to anything or anyone. Now, he couldn't imagine his world without Christine in it. He always longed to see her, to spend time in her company, to hear her heavenly voice.

Silently, he reprimanded himself for having such thoughts. She's a princess! A magnificent woman, borne of royal blood with delicate features that seem to have been sculpted by the angels, would never be interested in a _creature_ such as he. He, whose own mother couldn't stand the sight of him.

Once the princess learned that he was no angel, surely, she would reject him for deceiving her! She would forcibly remove his mask, take one look at his accursed face and scream in fear, just as all the others have.

No, he could never act on his feelings. Must learn to be content with the connection they have now. He resolved to focus only on finding a way to free her.

However, the problem was… he couldn't find one.

The only way in or out of the tower was through the large window, but an invisible shield had been cast on it. He had tried every spell and charm in the book, used even his most powerful magical items, but nothing could not break the enchantment.

Every day, as he came to visit her and sang with her, she would smile so sweetly. There was always a gleam in her eyes whenever they talked and he feared that the light within her would be extinguished if she found out that he didn't know how to get her out.

She noticed that he had become withdrawn. No longer did he sing with her or tell her stories. He would only listen as she read aloud from her books.

"Angel, is something the matter?"

He stayed silent for a while and then sighed. "Forgive me, princess. I am not what you think I am."

Her brows creased. "What do you mean?"

"I shouldn't have given you false hope. I'm afraid that, even with all my gifts, I cannot find a way to get you out."

"But aren't angels the most powerful creatures in the world? Your magic comes from heaven itself!"

A heavy sigh escaped his lips. "That is the problem. I am no angel. I never was."

And with those words, the charm he had cast on her eyes faded and she was able to see his physical form. He was a tall, thin man dressed in a hooded cloak that was as dark as the night sky. Stars and comets shifted within the fabric, matching the grace and fluidity of his movements.

In his right hand, he held a long silver staff adorned with a skull on its head. On his bony finger was an elegant black ring imbued with flecks of gold and engraved with words in a language that the princess did not understand. And as her gaze shifted to his face, there she saw a white mask that covered everything except for his golden eyes and thin lips.

He was not the knight in shining armor that she had imagined, not the Prince Charming that she had read about in her favorite books. Still, she thought he was beautiful in his own way.

But he clearly could not see the beauty that she saw in him. He quickly turned away from her. "I did not intend to deceive you but I did not want you to be frightened of me."

He reached for something within his cloak. It was a seemingly ancient tome. Using his staff, he made the book float in the air, up to her window. "Please accept this gift. It is my way of asking for forgiveness, for lying to you, for not being able to free you. I promise that you will never have to see me again."

She tried to reason with him, tell him that she forgave him and that she didn't want him to leave. But he disappeared into the dark woods, leaving her alone once more.

She took the book from the windowsill and held his gift close to her heart.

**…**

The tome he had left her was the most wonderful gift she could ever have received. Its pages were worn, as crisp as autumn leaves, but as she sifted through them, they would transport her to a different world.

From the tallest mountains to the deepest parts of the sea, the book would bring all the scenes to life for her. Majestic black and white horses would dance in the air and nuzzle her face. Lush meadows and fragrant flowers would adorn the floors of her room. Mermaids and fish and all sorts of colorful sea creatures would swim on her ceiling.

All of the stories he told her of his travels were all captured in this single, magical book. He couldn't free her from the tower but he gave her the world in the palm of her hands.

How she wished that he were here with her, wished that he hadn't left before she could tell him how she truly felt. She didn't care that he wasn't an angel, didn't care that he was a sorcerer or that he wore a mask.

She tried calling out to him through the window, hoping that he would hear her cries and return. Days passed by, and he did not come.

To keep herself occupied, she continued flipping through the pages of the tome. One day, a different scene came to life in her room. She saw him, the sorcerer who had once been her Angel, in a lair of sorts, somewhere dark and full of candles. He was playing the violin, melodies flowing from his graceful hands and dancing up in the air. Though she could not read his expression behind the mask, she could sense his sadness, his frustration.

For a time, she was content just watching him and listening to the beautiful symphonies he unleashed from the instrument. But something inside her compelled her to sing to him, even if he couldn't hear her.

She poured her heart and soul into the ballad, the very same one she had sung when they first met.

He stopped playing and looked around, clearly startled. "Christine?"

"Angel! Can you see me?"

"No, my dear. But I can hear you."

She smiled widely, tears of happiness flowing from her eyes. "I've missed you, Angel."

"Please do not call me that anymore, Christine. I have told you that I'm not an angel."

"You are an angel to me!" she cried. "You didn't listen to what I had to say before you left. I would've told you that I've forgiven you. You have given me so much, even if you couldn't undo the enchantments of the tower. You have given me music and laughter and warmth… and love."

He almost dropped the violin but quickly caught it before it reached the floor. "You… you don't truly mean that."

"Yes, I do. I… I love you."

He turned away from her voice, staring at a flickering candle. "You've never even seen my face."

Her hand reached to touch his masked cheek but then remembered that she was only staring at a projected image from a book. "Your face is only one part of you. I've seen your soul, my Angel, and it is beautiful."

He couldn't stop his tears then. If he could see her, he would've clutched the hem of her dress and kissed her feet. "No one has ever loved Erik."

"Well, _Erik_, those days are over. You are loved. By me."

His golden eyes gleamed, a mix of awe and happiness in his expression. "I love you too, Christine."

With tears in his eyes, he started singing to her, letting his voice warm her soul. And she joined him in song. Their duet—a loving, intimate duet meant only for their ears—seemed to create its own form of magic. No longer did they sing about loneliness or despair. Their hearts were so full of love and hope.

And with these melodies, the barrier that existed between them thinned, their connection strengthened. Erik blinked and saw her standing before him, and he ran to embrace her. The book he had gifted her lay open on the floor.

The enchantment had broken, the curse lifted.

He took her above-ground where she saw the sunshine for the first time in years. She savored the fragrance of the flowers around her, the sounds of the birds chirping in the air, the look of pure love in his eyes as he watched her dance in the meadows.

She placed her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. It felt like the world around them had stopped. Nothing else existed except for the two of them. No more towers and curses, only music and love.

No longer would the princess have to spend her days in solitude. No longer would the sorcerer have to roam the world alone.

They have freed each other. And, for once, happily ever after did not seem so far out of reach.


End file.
